The House has also agreed to ``decouple'' the voucher plan from Gov. Lawton Chiles' proposal to provide health care and insurance to nearly 300,000 poor children.

The House had linked both plans in an effort to force Chiles to take the voucher program if he wanted to offer more health services to children. Chiles' top priority for this session - his eighth and last as governor - is expansion of children's health programs.

Originally, the House plan called for vouchers to be issued to between 3,000 and 5,000 needy students. Chiles was adamantly opposed to the idea, saying public school dollars should not go to private schools, and no one could make him ``choke'' that down.

``I'd assume [Chiles) would like something better if it's a pilot rather than a program. But he didn't like the program all that much to begin with,'' Webster said.

Webster was still optimistic. But even a downsized program isn't expected to get past the Democratic governor's veto pen.

``The governor does not support using public money for private schools. He's said the same thing many times,'' said April Herrle, Chiles' communications director.